TRUE LIFE

      "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" Col. 3:1-3.

      The above is perhaps the most profound and clearly worded of the bibles announcements of what God's wishes are for the Christians in his personal thoughts of himself, as a born again new creation. But it is also one of the most difficult to understand: that which the Christian is to be occupied with in the established conscience's self image of himself, fixed in his mind by faith only; a intuition of the security he has in the identification of what he has become in the person of Christ Himself; even while he is sojourning here upon the earth in his Adam condition of sin.

     If God can be trusted by His Word and it is literally true then all our ability to act within His true life is dependent upon where we set our mind, our conscious identification with Him where He is above [heaven], not the place He was rejected from [earth]. Our mind must rise above what we are in the flesh to what we are to God formed by this new revelation. His way is made clear by His Word. As Paul said; "I follow after, if that [so I will] I may apprehend that which also [included within] I am apprehended of [us identified in Him and knowing it] of Christ Jesus" Phil 3:12.

      Yet few take to heart God's spiritual holy gift of this new position we hold; one of having a new biblical self evaluation as our life's motivation supported by a responsibly and studiously sought faith. Thereby gaining God's approach as life. Within His Power and Mind we may enter our new creation individuality in our own mind and spirit. However these spiritual identification truths are seldom taught. Us identified with Christ, we possessing and consciously existing as new creations enjoying as life His very thoughts of us. We participating in His ascension. Knowing this as the explanation for our Christianity.

     Thus reckoning [counting as true] His blessing for us as stated in Col. 3:1-3; we hidden with Him. This is a process to intake I know as I am on that same road. But why is this biblical fact and direct approach not taught and so seldom even mentioned? Could it be the earth life perception, the flesh, stands in the way? How can we meet such a lofty goal? "But we all, with uncovered face [openly] beholding as in a mirror [ seeing in our mind ourselves in His image] the glory of the Lord, we are changed [by our faith in thought] into the same image" 2 Cor. 3:18.  Just what does this all mean?

      This teaching is not a matter of doctrine only, although it is a true biblical doctrine, but a place we are brought to by the Spirit through spiritual enlightenment. As my last blog expounded upon. The first step to that enlightenment is to know the importance of a realized death of the Adam man the self life and sin. All provided by, entered into and seen, in the Son; which then opens the door and ushers us into His life above. "For we are alive though we are continually [always the attitude of the mind] surrendering [a mental position] ourselves to death [of the Adam man the flesh/world] for the sake [because we believe it true] of Jesus" 2 Cor. 4:11.

     His Words, when understood in biblical context as spiritual in nature, and His description of us in His Word can be the only true internal personality or spiritual evaluation of ourselves allowed to enter into His perfection, He has made us so. He will know a commonality in true fellowship [common thought and evaluation] as we present ourselves in the personality of those of the new nature. This new man, whom we are is God's new creation, and by His divine love, proves to be the character or image we are to hold within as our internal Christian self image.  All by His design for the new creation Christian, in whom God has made this all to be true, exclusively within His Son. He sees us in and as the very image and presence of His Son, as He observes and is one with Him; a perfect Man in the flesh, who is above.

     That is He is heavenly/spiritual/only apprehended in thought, and held in a conscious image of our own person as born again, newly created in Christ, all based upon faith in what His Word says in that regard. We only need a great desire, a desperate need really to enter there, thus becoming subject to He who is above in identification, as our only possible object for communion there. This true enlightenment begins in our mind, the bible is clear on that! "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" Eph. 2:6. "That I may know [ Him as our mind's personal identification] Him and the power [live above all things of the flesh and the world] of His Resurrection Phil. 3:10.

      The hard part is we live in the world of material and experience which the bible calls the flesh, and which we in the church are busily attempting to reform, to remake. Which in the works  activity only tends to mask needful desire by incurring a settled satisfaction and comfort within flesh traditions. However the Word declares we must take account of ourselves in identification spiritually individually as our only true life, as "God is a Spirit and must be worshiped only in spirit and truth".  It is thus His desire to extend His life into ours is fulfilled. This spiritual path can be gained as we set our mind upon what He has said. The resulting faith makes it possible. The Holy Spirit will provide all that is needed. "Set you hearts [internal desire and faith] on things above where He is". Note its "where He is", and not here.

     We know flesh cannot inherit His Spirit in the kingdom of God, the heavenly realm, this is His perfections demand. His Spiritual reality prevails and now ours also as we are no longer earthly. When we finely do see this truth we will come to know that the improvement and experience of man in the flesh and of the world is absolutely valueless. And when the new spiritual reality is made true in our conscious thought we become open to the power of His mind within us and not be diverted by the world of works and service and the betterment of mankind. "Your life is hid [identified, positioned] with Christ in [where He is] God" Col. 3:3. It is then and only then that we will have a solid platform for service in this place.

     Really a vast number of things we are busily occupied with in the church and for sure our own worldly plans are set aside in one stroke when Spirit is considered in identification as the qualifier of value to God. Most of our works are simply a diversion from a true heavenly and godly life of spirit as rested in by faith; the reckoning upon the New Man Christ Jesus, His truth. A truth which He is urging us to embrace in the attitude of our mind just as He sets forth in His Word. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly" Col. 3:16.

     We are heavenly, of a spiritual nature, in God's appropriation of us. And from that ground, or mind set we then conduct ourselves on earth as the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is not here to help us conduct a Christ life of doing service and works or even making us able disciples, as we are not mere followers [disciples], but one with Himself, in Christ. The Spirit is Christ's life living as Himself, enabled to act in us by our growing understanding of just who we are in Christ. Guiding us to set our minds above, upon Him as our total object!

     All that we have been made in Him is clear of any of our doing. He has done it all and is in Glory and we are there with Him by His will now and forever. The Father holds our very image, our being, hidden in His Son. This is a position we must take up as our domain in thought here and now, in order to live as Christians in maturity on earth. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves [in the flesh's natural evaluation], but our [only true valuation] sufficiency  [His view of us] is of God" 2 Cor. 3:5.

      There is only one true sphere of life for the Christian, that of Spirit: It is our responsibility to take up our position, in our mind and spirit. One of having died and resin with the Lord. "For we have been planted together [in/with Him] in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness [the new spiritual creation] of His resurrection" Rom. 6:5. It is only as we are established in our love and biblical understanding of Him that we began to see our self life and the world as morally set aside. The world of self-centeredness settled in a grateful feeling of accomplished service serves no purpose to know His apprehension of us. Nor does any works done in the self experience expressed outside of a heavenly mind view. As our natural thoughts and feelings often simply serves to stifle the eternal Godly communion we all so desire. What then are we to do?

      By a new knowledge we learn that He died in the world unto all that the Adam man was and is, as well as all that the world stands for. Making us as having now no part in it just as Him. In other words becoming what He made us inclusively to be within His Death and Resurrection of His very person, all known in faith. So how then could we look to self or the world as having any provision toward the Christian life?

     We need no faith for the worlds affairs. Yet we are taught to conduct our selves over and over by the church speakers we pay to shepherd us; that we must reform ourselves, be convicted of right to live as a Christian. We are told to go out and love others even our enemies, show the gospel by our actions. Good things yes, Christian things yes. But all the while we are left adrift still so deeply occupied by our self, the world and the flesh, therefore turning us toward the earth and the world system. Our old mans personality and the identity of the Adam condition; leaving no room for encouraging a responsibility toward a heavenly/spiritual exclusively faith based identification. This vital truth is never even addressed!

     No we need relief from the Adam self! If not then we are left to live Christianity based on experience, feelings, service/works/law, with a little hope thrown in, spiced up by tradition and happy experiential fellowship. Position and identification is seldom taught in any doctrinal/spiritual/faith based depth. How then can we find His place for us, which He has created newly and is entirely contained within our mind in spiritual knowledge led by faith. We in the sacred person of Christ "hidden in Christ" at the Father's right side, and not here, the self left behind. So by faith we must find Him above. The true life is not even to be here, as will be discovered when all our thoughts are governed by the new revelation from above!

      I am not saying that all the good works the Church does is for naught, no our God blesses and is involved by giving His abundant Grace in all our affairs. But our ability to act in internal confidence as the body, as ones honoring our God, our very true fellowship [mutual inner connected interdependence in like thought] depends on our conscious identification with Him individually first, just where He is now. Not where He was, as is most commonly taught, leaving only our old dead self-centered Adam to work on being better. Left convicted to carry on where Jesus left off. We are not to do good because He did good while on earth, which is effectively the dominant [service, good works] teaching today. Or because we feel we must emulate Him, as so encouraged by the sermons we often hear.... no, no, no: we are not up to the task in any way as natural men. Only a change of mind reveals what we are too be!

     It's by our mind being changed as to our identity from self/Adam man/church worker/sinner.... to one of heavenly/spiritual, clothed in Christ, perfect in the Fathers sight, there at His side. In this view we may receive power from Him despite earthly circumstances while we walk here in the Adam condition. And so we become aware of His very life being lived through us. All becoming clearer progressively when our mind thinks in this way. A biblical prescription of Spirit and the true life for the Christian.

      Everything is based on where the Lord Jesus is. If He were Here it would be here. But He is not. He is in heaven. So we must have our minds set upon things above, just as His Word commands. We know all too well what is in the world. We are all occupied with something here, whether it be the working for the enhancement of a coming earthly kingdom, family, service or work. And there is always weakness and troubles available. Finally of course there's self-gratification. None of these will provide His life, this is simply the flesh at work. "Put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man" Eph. 4:22

      Our joy our life must be found only above. We must be ruled  by the constant pursuit of the invaluable position He has made for us in Himself. The world will never be altered toward or even shown holiness by our behavior and action or attitude! The positioning which makes us unique all takes place in the mind as already established in heaven. Morals and behavior are not in the equation. The mind is controlled by it's object. This defining thought will make us independent from the world, we will live above it in a new power, because Christ Jesus becomes our life by His very thoughts of us and we participate there by faith. Which through knowledge gained may take up precedence in us, our place within Him. True life!

      "Everything in the Mind of the Father for His own has its source in the risen and glorified Man at His right side". That is why we cannot show it by works etc.... "It is hidden in Christ in God" above. From this mind set we may put on the qualities of love and goodwill, the new man, live His life in the inner man, in the divine simplicity of having only one object, Christ Jesus. You may learn this true life from only one place; the mind of the Father found in His Words. We must leave behind everything connected with self and the world to travel to His heart, always remembering our ways are not His ways. It is there in His Words we will find His thoughts, His ways; we will learn they are all only of His beloved Son within whom we are indeed included as our only existence for His fellowship, oneness and inheritance. True life!

      This blog was inspired by the writing's of C.A. Coates in the spiritual anthologies published by Miles J. Stanford.

DEATH FORMS OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

      In the New Testament and for general use "spiritual" indicates man regenerated, indwelt, enlightened, endued, empowered, guided by the Holy Spirit; conformed to the will of God, having the mind of Christ, living in and led by the Spirit. The spiritual man is a new creation born from above. (Romans 8:6 1 Corinthians 2:15; 1 Corinthians 3:1; 1 Corinthians 14:37 Colossians 1:9 1 Peter 2:5).

      If we take to heart the above explanation of spiritual and we count the Word of God as accurate in it's own interpretation of spiritual; then we might wish to apply what He wishes for us as stated in His Word to the identification of our inner man, or our conscience awareness, knowingly applied to our being. Thus making His identification ours.

     Yes I believe on some level most true Christians would acquiesce or at least be open to the Bible's application of the spiritual meaning as stated above in their born again lives. However if they are anything like me they are constantly frustrated by their lack of a spiritual experience. And also their weakness in the assimilation of their personality/actions that would indicate in some way a conformity to the bibles and therefor God's expectations of the Christian's true spiritual reality.  Why is that?

      Because we tend to manifest or evaluate our Christianity by a feelings/emotional/works/service sense, interrupting this [the good feelings] as the spiritual life. But God's life for us is not to be know by a experience alone. First, His thoughts of us, must become a conscious reality in our thoughts of our very own being. Then How is this manifested you might ask? A very simple biblical word is the answer "reckoning" or count it as true. That's it folks nothing more! But this process does carry a price: the burden of Christ....to be like Him, "Not I but Christ". This comes by the Spirit only! For the answer to how we see that we have to look to Him. Rest in His thoughts of us. Well again as always the Word of God has the answer, His very thoughts. "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead Col.2:9. "And you [all Christians] are [knowingly] complete in Him [Him as object, and identity] who is the head of all [spiritual] principality and power" Col. 2:10.

      Reckoning is only lived by faith and faith is only accomplished by biblical knowledge. Faith is a responsibility not a gift. Yes there is much Grace but faith grows only by knowledge. The first blush of Christianity is given by grace in our salvation or redemption and thank God, it requires little to no faith. Most rest there, going no further, this is a fact. Really few Christians even read the bible on their own. So how could they know what it says about who they really are? It seems we are destined to suffer in order to learn to live His life. The one He sees us in as He views His Son. We first must come to enough need in the failure of self in order to began to reckon, to have a desperate enough need for His life of freedom; and thereby be catapulted on to the next step in spiritual discovery: our death upon the cross with Him. "For if we have been planted together [with Him in a mutual identified spirit] in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of [have the same heavenly life as His, in spirit] His resurrection" Rom. 6:5.

      "Likewise you also, reckon [think of it as true] yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord" Rom. 6:11. This death Paul is referring to, to reckon upon, is not one in which he is telling Christians in the Church body not to sin or that they must accomplish a moral behavioral death to sinning in their person. But is referring to the death of the Adam man [who we are] upon the cross judicially, God's judgment. Yes we are still clothed in the Adam man who fell in the Garden; in who's emulation, personality and propensity to sin we now are in condition and actually still exist in; as our life in the world should attest too.  On the contrary Paul's reference here is to the man "us" upon whose behalf Christ was made sin and died unto [made dead] sin for. So the true reckoning is not a role we play but a mental position we take in identification. We who offended God are indeed DEAD, at least to Him!. This is the crux of Christianity in total!

      Now comes the experience part the "reckoning" unto life. If we seek to escape death as reckoned upon the cross we will not experience life. In the life of most believers self has usurped the place belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ. The life which He provided by His death; which represented our death. The reason we fail to live on His terms is we do not realize the self life has been crucified upon the cross with Him also. Really the truth is, we don't believe Him. "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" Rom. 6:11.

     We wish to improve the manner of our lives, serve the body, do good, but this is all of thinking of what we are and not who He is. Here is the deal my friends: life [God's life for us] is not only a position to be grasped, or a life of fellowship and service, but is lived out moment by moment, suffering or not, by faith only, based upon the Word of God and Christ Jesus as our all consuming object. Brought into our mind as it describes our inner man; pursued and known on ones own private volition. To be ultimately found in fullness through the exercise of faith and in no other way. All else to follow! "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly" Col. 3:16. And, "Your life is hid with Christ in God" Col. 3:3.

THE LESS TRAVELED WAY

      "There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own Soul.
One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light. But by making the darkness conscious".  These are the words of the famous psychoanalyst Carl Jung. The first and second, even the third sentence I could agree with. And I believe I could make a strong biblical argument as to their application in explaining our all to often self centered christian viewed reality. The fourth is simply a expression of mans effort to learn to justify his presence and his compromised position with this evil world system.

     Which by the way is a spiritual system, therefore of the mind. A power emanating from a evil source impacting the world we live in. Inculding our choice's, defining our very person hood as Adam men on the earth, all through our thought process. But there has been provided another choice for the struggling Christian, another way to think. But it is the thoughts of another, those of God toward His Son which we must first know, then must adopt!
    
      In the third sentence is a key word "imagining", which powers the Adam mans thoughts, shaping what he views as truth on his own terms.  We must ask are we Christians simply conforming to the world. Buying into Jung's analysis; by attempting to make that which God has claimed in His Word  life's very essence "His Spirit" and the saints spiritual insight of His will for us into something worldly more experiential, tangible. Thereby dragging the darkness of the world, the material, and the Adam nature, into a form of ritual and contemporary approved comfort we have come to recognize as Christianity. Just because it has become so familiar to us as it has developed over the years. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit [of the mind] and in truth" Jn. 4:24.

      If His Word is true it is not the souls work to become acclimated to our atonement then the making of a church, but the Spirit's, His Spirit, changing our soul/mind to His exclusive view. "Not I but Christ" Gal. 2:20. How can we become members of Christ Jesus while remaining in thought of ourselves as Adam men, flirting with the worlds thought? Reckoning Christianity to our own adjustments. No impossible! His life in us is Spiritual, available only by faith, unlike ours in natural thought, which is only carnal.

      We need no faith in the unseen to be Adam men enacting our own self esteem nor to conduct a ritualized Christianity. We are told by God in His Word a change must take place to acquire a awareness of what we have become in Christ "Not I but Christ". Few however truly embrace the radical thoughts of themselves, those which our Father has in His Mind, as He views His children. "Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" 1 Tim. 1:9.

      Our Christian narrative as presented at least in the majority of this current contemporary establishment atmosphere, is hopelessly compromised as adjusted to the Adam natural man. We so often conduct ourselves as if we do not believe the Word. If we did few perhaps would be in Church out of habit on Sunday, but would remain home in quite contemplation of the Word. "Meditate upon these things [His Word]: give yourself wholly to them, that it's profit may appear to all" 1 Tim. 4:15. Instead we are joined together often in a institutionalized tradition usually working for the worlds good or being entertained . Certainly dedicated to keeping the status quo. Yes doing good, being taught Christian values and morals. Yet all the while remaining in Adams venue, the old man's personality.

     Always considering our own comfort or experiential enjoyment. Or what amounts to the urging of obedience to mans soul imaginations of what a church should be. What much of it has become. Really amounting to a self-centered momentary, time taken out of a busy schedule cheer leading session, urging us to solider forward and do good things. Then after its back quickly to the things of the world. Yes I know we Love the Lord there. We worship Him there. And He is there. But are we in the inner man motivated by the realization of our heavenly inheritance to be there? Who we are in identification with, in the only Life which we may keep. "For the Lord shall be your confidence" Prov. 3:26.

     Knowing, doing and being.  All of the data we collect and present provides the context that allows us to know where we are in our Christian story. The problem is few will be driven to really know, most will just go along. Then we are not knowing, we may be doing, but not being. You my Christian friends are simply voluntary victims if functioning in the go along to get along mode. A change of thought must be sought in desperation! "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death" Phil. 3:10. If this verse does not in some way translate into a personal spiritual reality now on the earth then your just going along.

      Where are the rebels these days we should ask? Our past is drenched with the blood and misery suffered by those who dared to believe in the invisible God of the bible, and had unwavering allegiance to Him often unto death. I fear our time will come to make a stand, just as it has in many lands, even today. I also fear few will stand in the face of what evil is planning for us. Most will choose the illusion of comfort we have become so accustomed to while remaining in our old man personality, locked in traditions prison. That is as Jung suggests, making the darkness conscious; the individual imaging of and then accepting his self experienced narrative, what is contemporarily presented to him, as his christian reality. And not in subjectivity to God's objective reality only found by faith in a new heavenly creation, as we are guided by grace and commanded to do so in His Word. "Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows [including his thoughts of himself], that shall he reap" Gal. 6:7.